Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R-Merrick), Chairman of the Senate’s Transportation Committee, announced that the Committee will be holding a public hearing examining the use of public-private partnerships (P3s) to fund transportation infrastructure projects.

Photo caption: Senator Fuschillo is pictured as he speaks with some of the local residents who visited with him during the Bellmore Street Festival.

State Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R-Merrick) recently participated in the annual Bellmore Street Festival, where he spoke with residents about a host of different issues and offered information about various state programs and services.

Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R-Merrick) announced that he will be holding Mobile Office Hours in Amityville on Thursday, October 6th. All residents are invited to participate in the program, which will be held at the Amityville Library, located at the corner of Oak & John Streets, from 1-3 pm.

Legislation Would Double the Amount of Tuition Expenses Residents Could Claim Off Their Taxes

To help make college more affordable for families, Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R-Merrick) is cosponsoring legislation to increase the amount of tuition expenses that residents can deduct off their taxes.

Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R-Merrick) announced today that federal disaster aid is now available for homeowners, renters and businesses in Suffolk County.

Suffolk’s residents and businesses are now eligible for the Individuals and Households Program, Crisis Counseling, Disaster Unemployment Assistance, USDA food coupons and distribution, USDA food commodities, Disaster Legal Services, the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Small Business Administration disaster loans. Nassau County residents and businesses are also eligible for this assistance.

The program, sponsored by the New York State Insurance Department, came to the Merrick Road Town Park in the department’s mobile office van to give advice and assistance to residents who sustained damage to their property as a result of Hurricane Irene. The mobile van will continue to help residents until 8 P.M. tonight.

Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R-Merrick) today called on President Obama and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to expand federal disaster assistance available in Nassau and Suffolk Counties to home and business owners.

While localities on Long Island will be eligible to receive federal assistance to pay for road, bridge and infrastructure repairs related to Hurricane Irene, home and business owners were not included on the list for disaster assistance.

With many residents having to make repairs to their homes following the damage caused by Hurricane Irene, Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R-Merrick) is reminding residents how they can protect themselves from becoming victims of contracting scams.

“Many residents suffered damage to their homes which will require a contractor to fix. While most contractors are reputable and qualified professionals, there are some dishonest individuals who will try to take advantage of others in their time of need. By following a few simple steps, you can help protect yourself from becoming a victim of a contracting scam or fraud,” said Senator Fuschillo.

“Hurricane Irene was a very damaging and destructive storm which will unfortunately result in many families and businesses having to file insurance claims. By following a few simple steps, residents will be able to better protect themselves and help the claims process go more smoothly,” said Senator Fuschillo.